BADGERBROADCAST blog

this blog is going to kick off with a story. this is a story about a little girl who was raised with a serious love for sports and music. she’s not a professional athlete, she’s not a hot new singer, she’s not a coach or trainer, she’s simply an avid sports and music fan who never shuts up about either.

maybe it will help to paint you a picture: it’s a sweltering, humid summer day in Virginia. the temperature is pushing mid-90s and thousands are gathered at the outdoor music pavilion to rock out to AC/DC live in concert. there is a pudgy guy wandering among this rowdy crowd in shorts and a cutoff band t-shirt, beer in hand, ordinary considering the assembly. this particular guy is short, sporting a ratty Redskins hat, but, most notably, wearing a baby carrier holding a 19(ish) month old child. she’s fast asleep, sucking her thumb; after all it’s only the opening acts. she’d also gotten pretty good at sleeping through tailgating and pregame events and waking up just in time for the start of the game.

yep, that’s right, my dad started taking me to concerts and live sporting events even before i could walk. though i could walk at 19(ish) months, i was tired, so it was a good thing my dad had the foresight to bring the baby carrier. now, do i remember this occurring? well of course not. this isn’t a story of savant memory or anything like that, but i’ve seen the pictures. praise the Lord for Polaroid cameras because there are a lot of things that went on in my childhood that i’m not sure i’d know about had my parents not kept company that liked to photographically document. this is a story about how now, 25(ish) years later, i reflect on those pictures and experiences as defining moments in my life. i’m who i am today obviously partially due to genetics, but a great deal of what comprises my heart and soul can be expressed by the first word i uttered out loud in this world, “touchdown”.

this is why i’m going to blog. these topics are my first loves and daily obsessions. they’re a part of me. so let’s talk sports, music, maybe some television and movies, and possibly some other haphazard topics along the way. why? because we want to, it’s fun, and the internet said we could.

 today we’re gonna talk about my background in sports. we’ll start with the sports i love to play. growing up it was apparent to the outside observer my dad would have preferred a boy. from the way i dressed to the activities i participated in right down to my haircut, oh yes, the standard boy bowl cut. i even rocked a mohawk for awhile because my dad thought it looked tough, though my mom tried to fight it. i’d say tomboy is a massive understatement, meaning if you saw pictures from my childhood it’s possible you may not be able to tell i’m a girl. i’ve been playing basketball, football, baseball, and soccer since i was four. i honestly think my parents just put me into sports because i would have driven them nuts otherwise. i also know my mom had dreams of me going to college with a free ride. that seemed to still work out according to her plans, but she has the Air Force to thank for that, not my athletic prowess.  

regardless of the reasons i grew up playing all different kinds of sports which is why my interest in them remains deep and varied to this day. a story my dad will be telling the rest of our lives revolves around an award i won for a sports activity in 7th grade. i had the honor of earning my way to compete in the state NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick competition. this was before there were separate boys’ and girls’ divisions. i took third at the state competition and punted, passed, and kicked at halftime on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. my dad wore the medal for two weeks after the competition and then hung it up with a plaque in his basement trophy cases. my younger brother has since taken over the trophy case but my medal and plaque still remain. 

 supposedly march 20th was the first day of spring…in my opinion it’s still too cold to be referred to as spring. but all the awesomeness associated with the season of spring is definitely upon us! if you’re not excited about moving into warmer temperatures, this post will be my attempt to perhaps inspire feelings of excitement about spring and possibly even motivate you to try some new springtime related activities.  

even if you haven’t watched a single march madness basketball game, the games likely to be most intense and provide down-to-the-last-second entertainment are coming up. give the final four and the national championship a shot even if you’re bracket was busted in the first few rounds or you couldn’t care less about basketball, if nothing else it’ll give you a bit of sports news to throw around at the office to stay involved at the water cooler.  

next, go to a baseball game. yes, i’ve heard them called long and boring, but here’s the best part, just like football you can tailgate and hang out with friends and/or family and have a great time even before the game. also, if you really can’t stand the sport, there’s no rule stating you have to be in the stadium for the first pitch. enjoy some bean bag toss and catch up with those you don’t see often enough and head into the game when you’re ready. then enjoy libations with your peanuts and crackerjacks and watch or don’t watch. make sure you discuss amongst yourselves what your ‘walk out’ song would be when it’s your turn to bat…that’s a necessary baseball game conversation.  

alright, so for those non-sports people out there, find a way to get out and enjoy the nicer weather! ditch that winter coat and bust out some spring fashions if that’s what you’re into. a lot of stores even have spring sales…hey!. one of my absolute favorite things about spring is happy hour with friends at a bar/restaurant with a patio. the sun shining on you, a light breeze circulating laughter from all the jovial conversations around the tables, and everyone’s general happiness that they won’t, Lord willing, have to get up and shovel in the morning.  

another incredible aspect of pleasant weather is outdoor concerts and events. whether it’s an art festival, an outdoor music concert or tour, a craft fair, a farmer’s market, or an auto show, find something outside that piques your interest and, if the weather permits, go enjoy it! even if it’s just mowing the lawn or planting a garden, ugh…i can barely believe i wrote that considering i despise both. i guess that’s what happens when one of your first jobs is working all summer long at a landscaping company. but if you’ve gotta a green thumb and an eye for picturesque flowerbeds or seasonal vegetables, fruit, and/or herbs…by all means have at it! bust out those tools and grow yourself the garden of your dreams.   

i hope you agree these are some solid ‘ring in spring’ type ideas. i know i’m going to partake in at least half of the good times i listed and hopefully you will too! bring on spring…am i right?

a reply to a comment she made on this post:

haha! i want to wear sandals too! i definitely agree, the trees out here look great, the Nats are playing…WHY can’t it just be nice?? i had to bust out my winter jacket again!! unsat Mother Nature….unsat. here’s hoping for warmer, less rainy, cold, and windy weather for the DC/NovA area so we can CELEBRATE spring!!

 a story from my teenage years i’ve tried to block out that my dad is notorious for bringing up the first time he sees baseball on television is actually pretty funny, retrospectively of course. it’s a tale about a credulous 13-year-old girl who had been playing in the oshkosh youth baseball league for a majority of her childhood. she really never thought much about the fact she was the only girl on the team or in the league.  

despite the occasional rumblings and inconsiderate comments her parents had to deal with during games or tournaments, which they told her nothing about, this girl could care less. she just loved playing baseball even though most of the time she was stuck in right field. sometimes she got to play third base or, when the rich kid was out of town, shortstop.  

understanding baseball a bit more now, the coaches should’ve really put her at first base seeing as she was at least a head taller than all but one of the boys. and that taller boy was not just tall, he was talented, and his dad’s company was the team’s sponsor. the uniforms were teal. we’ll call this teenage athletic superstar jack. jack batted clean-up and was the pitcher and, man, could he bring the heat.  

here’s how this girl became painfully aware of just how hard jack could throw…it was batting practice on a hot, humid wednesday afternoon. she’s up to bat but is taking some tips on her swing from the coach and was NOT in the batter’s box. all of sudden, SMACK, one of jack’s wild fast balls hits her like a ton of bricks right in the middle of her forehead…no helmet, it was just batting practice after all. who knows why he was pitching when she clearly wasn’t ready to bat. her coach took her to the doctor and that was her first concussion. the big bruise on her forehead lasted a few weeks and you could see the seam marks from the ball for the first week.  

that is the story of jack’s fastball, it’s almost as good as the story about how this same girl got her front tooth knocked out playing hockey. but we’ll save that for another post. 

today we’re gonna talk about the power and the pure awesomeness of a single, totally rockin’ song. we all have our ‘jams’. the song that comes on the radio or queues up on our playlist that can instantly put a smile on our faces, transport us to that happy place, and license us to a full-tilt rock out session, regardless of time or location.  

i love music so much this post could go on for years but i’m going to try and focus on acouple songs that have been a major part of my life for as long as i can remember and then mention a few more current jams that inspire an anytime dance break. first, an obvious but necessary song on this short list, AC/DC’s ‘for those about to rock (we salute you)’. there is nothing this song doesn’t have…great guitar, belt ‘em out lyrics, and a rockin’ beat. AC/DC and i go way back so this song HAD to make the list.  

next, def leppard ‘pour some sugar on me’. this is another hard rocking jam with a funky intro, random but fun lyrics, and solid guitar riffs. i have another long term musical relationship with queen. i’ve been obsessed with freddie mercury since i was a little kid and i could write volumes about how several of their songs have meant so many different things to me throughout my life. the song i’m choosing for this post is ‘fat bottomed girls’. i know every single word, love the instrumental collaboration in this song, and either fist pump with authority or bang on whatever is within reach along with the infectious beat of this jam. this is definitely one of my go-to pump-me-up, pull-me-out-of-a-funk songs. and i won’t get too lengthy but i have to include zz top’s ‘legs’ and j.geils band’s ‘love stinks’, i mean, come on, i HAD to.  

to bring this brief list up to more contemporary music we’ll start with olly murs ‘troublemaker’. i have to be honest and say i don’t really know exactly what it is about this song that makes me want to blast it and sing at the top of my lungs. is it the undeniably catchy beat? or is it the integration of rapper flo rida’s smooth lyrics? i’m not entirely sure, but regardless, this British pop sensation has me cranking up the volume. i’ll try and wrap this up. i love songs with high beats-per-minute for running and working out so i’ll include the ones i earnestly search for on my ipod when i’m dying on a run or feel as though i can’t do one more burpee. current ‘vanessa power-through this’ songs are, and these will expose my truly eclectic taste in music, nicki minaj’s ‘starships’, ‘whip it’, and/or ‘pound the alarm’. yep, i said it.  

comments welcome and i’d love to hear what songs pump you up, get you through the day, or move you to have that magical spontaneous sing-along dance party in your home, car, or workplace!

her replies to comments on this post:

thanks, i love music SO much too!! the mix of genres in your daily, work-grind mix is incredible and so diverse! i’d love to be a part of your rock out session!

you’re so right, how could a list of this nature EVER be complete?? you DEFINITELY added some great tunes to the mix though, and you’re so right, how could we pick just one Led Zeppelin song??

i’m definitely getting the vibe you like the heavier stuff! money additions, especially with pantera and sevendust. we’re really crushing stress, and hopefully nothing else, with these jams blasting in the background!

 every once and awhile, whether it’s due to a string of bad days, or for no reason at all, we get into a funk. it doesn’t matter what we do, we can’t seem to snap out it. it weighs us down physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, etc. we just become this straight up ‘debbie (or dan, or david…) downer’ and most of the time we can’t, at least eloquently, explain why. this happens to me more often than i’d like to admit and it’s so frustrating because i just want to move on and be my normal happy, laugh out loud, self. one game my best friend and i play to remind each other that good things are actually still happening and we just might be too burdened to recognize it, is the ‘3 good things’ game.  

it’s not a particularly difficult game with complicated rules, or any rules at all really, just a game that forces you to excavate and analyze your day and muster up ‘3 good things’ that happened to you, or you heard about, read about, or otherwise discovered that made you smile or laugh, even if it was just for a second. it’s a way to try and put things in perspective and focus on the good stuff that’s happening. this game means a lot to me because it often does make a big difference and contributes to altering my mindset regularly. it helps me step back, assess what drove me into my funk, and stack it up against the grand scheme of things. most of the time what i’m stewing and stressing over doesn’t add up and it turns out i have way more things to be grateful for than to be upset or freaking out about.  

maybe next time you’re down in the dumps you can find someone to play the ‘3 good things’ game with or you can write your 3 things in a journal or, heck, just yell them out loud. it’s a game i’ve found to be surprisingly therapeutic and helpful, and hey, you never know, you might too.

her reply to a comment on this post:

welcome aboard and thanks for reading! your 5 things is a great idea and certainly something to aim for each day, thanks for sharing.

 i know, i know, lame joke, but i wanted to write today about my latest social media-type escapade: pinterest. i have younger sisters who spend hours on pinterest pinning and repinning everything from recipes to nail art to home decorating tips. whenever we’re talking pinterest will somehow manage to edge its way into the conversation. this is when i usually just listen to them chat about all the “awesome” things they’ve seen recently or this “one thing” they saw on pinterest they just “have to get”. then they move to the phase where they ask me why i’m not on pinterest yet and what my problem is, like not pinning on a virtual board is some type of crime.  

i grew weary of their accusatory comments and finally decided to check it out. talk about a time-sink! i thought to myself, i just look around for a little bit and then be done, since i have way too much other stuff to do. yeah, right vanessa. before i knew it an hour had passed and i honestly still don’t even know what i was doing. i didn’t pin anything, or at least i don’t think i did, but i was clicking around on there like it was going out of style.  

so what did i learn? well, i think the concept is very cool, i mean obviously, it’s massively popular. a visual, interactive, and adaptable version of a storyboard of sorts that is divided up into categories any which way you desire makes it a personal experience as well as a collaborative experience because you can follow other people’s boards and repin content others pin to their boards. now i didn’t get far enough to figure out what you do once you have your board all set up but i think i got the basic gist of it. so i have an account now, which as i’m sure you gather, could prove to be quite dangerous. at least now i can say that the next time my sister’s harass me. imagine how much crap i get for not having facebook…in their mind that’s pretty much a social networking felony.  

this online adventure made me wonder have any of you recently tried to learn more about a social media channel or tool? i’d be interested (i resisted that time…) to hear if anyone had a similar experience or discovered something you utilize now for networking and sharing either professionally or personally…let’s hear it! 

it’s time to talk about some of the best butt-kicking sports movies according to me. similar to my rock out song post, this list could be ridiculously long but i’m going to try to reign myself in a bit. i’ll try to hit several different sports and mention comedic films as well as the dramatic titles. here we go…  

i’m not going to describe the movies much so i can fit in as many titles as possible. if you haven’t seen a certain film on this list and are a sports movie fan, hopefully its mere presence on this list will entice you to check it out. the best place to start is at the beginning right? so we’ll get this rolling with some classics.  

the natural is a truly timeless baseball flick. field of dreams is another iconic baseball movie and any diehard sports fan knows it’s famous quote from the whisper in the cornfield…i won’t say it, it’s like a quiz haha. then there’s bill durham is  another standard sports movie documenting the life of an aspiring pitcher who has an affair with a fan. a little heavy on the romance for my taste but, hey, they gotta put butts in the seats right? still a classic. i know what you’re thinking, there has to be a movie that ISN’T about baseball that makes the ‘classics’ list right? relax, the engrossing documentary of inner city basketball players growing up in Chicago, hoop dreams, belongs here for the artistic aspects and emotional components of the film. another documentary that can be deemed a classic is when we were kings. this film documents the famous “rumble in the jungle” between the great muhammed Ali and george Foreman. last two for the classic films are rocky and karate kid. both of these movies are staples in the sports fan’s collection. now, don’t worry if you think i’m missing iconic flicks, bear with me…  

we’ll move right along with a super stellar short list of five overall radical sports movies regardless of genre. first, space jam. this movie needs little explanation as to why it’s on the list, it’s hilarious, even now, years later, and the cast is loaded with athletes and sports personalities. next, remember the titans. this is my personal favorite movie of all time. it’s about football, i know every line, and it still makes me cry every single time i watch it. it’s inspiring, deals with real issues, and is a great sports story. then there’s hoosiers. gene hackman has never crushed a movie the way he does in this moving tale of a small-town high school basketball team. this next movie can only be introduced with slowly chanting the following with increasing volume and excitement…ruuuudy, ruuuudy, ruuuuuuuuudy…do we get where i’m going with this? despite my feelings towards notre dame, rudy is an undeniably solid sports flick. another movie that’s a little off the radar  i want to put in this short list is green street hooligans. it’s a story about soccer/football (it’s set in England), sort of, but more about the clubs of die-hard fans that support teams.  it’s certainly dramatic and a lot of people get beat up, if you can take the violence, i recommend giving this one a watch.  

ok now let’s lighten it up a bit. here are some of the best funnier sports movies out there. first, and this one is also a classic to me as it was a staple growing up, the sandlot. come on, the kids are adorable and hysterical! then the mighty ducks. yep, the whole trilogy makes this list for me and honestly i don’t know which one i like best. you’ve gotta love the bash brothers. these fun hockey movies are amusing at the core but also get your other emotions involved and you can’t help but connect with hans, their sage grandfather-like figure. next, white men can’t jump. i remember when i got this movie for my birthday one year and i watched it every single day for 3 weeks straight and laughed each time. no list would be complete without caddyshack. who knew there could be such a side-splittingly funny movie created about golf? i sure didn’t believe it until caddyshack. the cast really brings it home in this movie, bill murray at his finest. little giants and rookie of the year are fun movies to get kids to like sports movies and give parents an excuse to watch them. bad news bears, benchwarmers, talladega nights, and the replacements are also a few that are good for some laughs.  

now a few flicks that can’t really be categorized and then we’ll wrap up this longer-than-brief-but-in-no-way-complete list. angels in the outfield, you laugh, you cry, and you want so bad for the angels to win the pennant. friday night lights, a high school football drama set it the hot Texas sun. jerry Maguire, we all know the popular line from this film and it’s relevant to many of us a lot of the time haha. invincible, i mean who wouldn’t want a chance to try out to play for their favorite hometown football team? 2 other great hockey movies i have to mention are miracle and mystery, Alaska. i prefer miracle but both are great inspirational stories. for another emotional experience, this tale about a boy that goes from homeless to the NFL, watch the story of michael Oher in the blind side. two other random additions to the list, secretariat for the horse racing fans out there and one some of you might not have expected to see make the list, prefontaine.  

ok these are some last minute movies i thought of and didn’t want to leave them off the list. though again, i’m not claiming this list to have every great sports movie by any means. the fighter, yeah i know another marky mark movie. hey it’s not my fault his incredibly jacked physique lands him roles as awesome athletes. this movie is based on a true story and i was engrossed the whole time, solid flick. coach carter, nothing like  little samuel l. to shake up the basketball and academic lives of inner-city high school boys. ok to wrap things up, we are marshall, glory road, major league, the rookie, and any given sunday.  

so there we have it, now for the fun part! tell me what movies you thought were good picks and which ones were not so hot. let me know if i missed your favorite flick or overlooked a great sports movie! looking forward to see what everybody thinks as we talk about 2 of the coolest things in this world, sports and movies,  uniting for our viewing pleasure.